Background & Objectives: The ischemic stroke is defined as cerebral dysfunction due to brain infarct which is induced by vascular obstruction. The related risk factors including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardioembolism and hyperlipidemia are investigated in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine the etiology of cerebral infarction in young adults ( - year-olds).

 Methods: All the patients in the age rang of - admitted to the neurology ward of Alavi Hospital in Ardabil between 2004 and 2005 with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction were included in this study. A questionnaire including demographic data, personal and family history of stroke and cardiac infarct, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and hyperlipidemia was filled out for all patients. Blood sugar, cholesterol, anticardiolipin antibody and beta- glycoprotein were examined. The patients underwent echocardiography. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (release ).

 Results: The total number of the patients was , including females (71.1%) and males (28.9%). The mean age was (SD= ). The etiologic factors based on their frequency were: cardioembolism ( ), positive antiphospholipid antibodies (35.5%), hyperlipidemla ( ), smoking ( ), hypertension ( ), oral contraceptive use ( ) and diabetes mellitus (13.7%).

 Conclusion: The most frequent etiologies of the cerebral infarcts in the young adults in this study were cardiogenic embolism and positive antiphospholipid antibodies. Other background factors were hyperlipidemia, smoking, hypertension, oral contraceptive use and diabetes mellitus respectively. Most of these etiologies can be intervened and prevented. The identification of these factors before occurrence of cerebral infarction can prevent this debilitating event.

  Background & Objectives: Septicemia is one of the serious infections of neonatal period that its microbial etiologies bacterial causes are different in various parts of the world. Incidence of sepsis in developing countries is much more than that of developed countries and it is one of the important causes of mortality and morbidity in neonatal period. This study was done to determine the microbial etiology, mortality and resistance pattern of septicemia.

 Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study for three years on blood cultures of 210 neonate admitted in pediatric hospital in Tabriz. Demographic information, clinical findings, types of bacteria in blood culture and antibiogram were analyzed.

 Results: Mean age of patients was 8±2 days in which sixty percent were male and the rest were female. Among 12 isolated bacteria, negative staphylococcus coagulase was the most common. 68.6% of isolated bacteria were positive gram. 31.4% of negative gram were in which klebsiella pneumoniae had the most frequent incidence. 22.9% of neonates died, in which 9% of them weighed less than 1500 grams. Among 8 antibiotics used by disc diffusion method, ampicillin showed the highest (97.4%) and vancomycin the lowest (6.7%) resistance.

 Conclusion: septicemia is still the main problem in neonatal ward and neonatal intensive care unit. The etiologic agents and resistance pattern of each area should be considered in starting empirical treatment.

  Background & Objectives : Panel-reactive antibody (PRA) is a routine test to evaluate for sensitized human leukocyte antigens (HLA) before kidney transplantation. The present study evaluates the correlation of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) polymorphisms with the level of PRA in renal transplant candidates.

  Methods: This study included 108 renal transplant candidates. The current patients sera were screened by standard complement-dependent microlymphocytotoxicity technique. RAS polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction. PRA<10, 10-29, 30-49, and ≥50 considered as negative, mild, moderate, and highly positive PRA, respectively.

  Results: Twelve (11.1%) patients had positive PRA, among them 10 (83.3%) had mild and 2 (16.7%) of them had moderate PRA levels we had no highly positive PRA. Ninety-six of cases (88.9%) were negative for PRA. There was no significant correlation between discrete RAS polymorphisms (alone or together) and the degree of panel antibody reactivity (P>0.05).

 Conclusion: We suggest that none of the RAS polymorphisms could predict the positivity degree of PRA level.

 Background & Objective: As renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity could affect the severity of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers the effect of enalapril and losartan on these markers in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) with RAS polymorphisms was assessed.

 Methods: After determination of RAS genotypes including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE I/D), Angiotensinogen (AGT M235T) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (ATR1 A1166C) by PCR, seventy-six RTRs recruited to four groups randomly: first group (17 patients) and second group (24 patients) were treated with E (E⁺: 10mg/daily) and L (L⁺: 50 mg/daily) alone, respectively. The third group (17 patients as positive control) received E+L (E⁺L⁺: 10mg/daily + 50 mg/daily) and the 4^th group (18 patients as negative control) received no medication (E^-L^-). Hs-CRP and total anti-oxidant (TA) as inflammatory and anti-oxidative markers were measured after 2 months. After 2 weeks as washout period, E group changed to L and vice versa as a cross-over design. They were followed for another 8 weeks and hs-CRP and TA were retested.

 Results: Following up the patients (after 2, 4 months of treatment) in treated groups revealed that hs-CRP and TA levels were significantly decreased and increased (consequently) in E⁺L⁺, L⁺, E⁺ groups (P<0.05). On analyzing the relationship between RAS polymorphisms with baseline hs-CRP and TA levels, CC genotype of ATR1 had lower hs-CRP levels (P=0.04). But none of the RAS polymorphisms could predict the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory response rate to the drugs (P>0.05).

 Conclusion: E and/or L reduce hs-CRP and increase TA regardless of the RAS genotypes.

  Background & Objectives: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the main antigenic structure expressed on the surface of smooth strains of Brucella. It has been shown that Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) of Neisseria meningitidis efficiently promote IgG and IgM response against the administrated antigen as an adjuvant. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of LPS-OMV noncovalent complex in producing of T helper 1 cytokine (IFN-γ) and T helper 2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) in mice.

  Methods: LPS extracted by an optimized method based on hot phenol-water extraction. Groups of six BALB/c mice were injected subcutaneously with LPS alone, LPS with Freund adjuvant and LPS-OMV complex on 0, 14 and 28 days. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 were evaluated in spleen cell suspension supernatant by ELISA.

  Result: Immunization with B. abortus LPS significantly induced high level of IFN-γ in comparison to the other groups immunized with LPS-OMV and LPS+ adjuvant (p<0.05). In contrast, lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were elicited by LPS in the rest groups. Immunization with the non-covalent complex of B. abortus LPS-N. meningitidis serogroup B OMV caused a significant increase of IL-4 and IL-10 compared with the mice immunized with B. abortus LPS (p<0.05), while the titer of IFN-γ is still significantly higher than IL-4 and IL-10 (p<0.05).

  Conclusion: The raise of IFN-γ following the immunization with all of the compounds (LPS, LPS-OMV non-covalent complex and LPS+adjuvant) indicates the activation of Th₁ population that would be correlated to the clearance of the organism due to the amplification of anti-microbial activity of Polymorphonuclear cells. Low levels of IL-4 and IL-10 following the immunization with all compounds would be a sign of Th₁ responses dominancy or inhibition of Th₂ population proliferation and activity. Such a cytokine pattern would be a sign of the efficiency of brucellosis subunit vaccine because Th₂ responses basically have no role in the immune responses against Brucella and may lead to the persistence of intracellular infection.

  Background & objectives: There are growing evidences about relationship between vitamin D metabolism and occurrence of diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D has a role in secretion and possibly the action of insulin and modulates lipolysis and might therefore contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. This study was aimed to evaluate whether serum vitamin D3 level in patients with diabetes is lower than that in non-diabetics and if its level has any relation to indices of metabolic syndrome.

 Methods: Sixty nine subjects were enrolled in this case-control study (23 diabetic patients with good control of blood sugar, 23 poor control diabetic patients and 23 healthy subjects as control group). Serum 25(OH) D3, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), (2 hour postprandial blood sugar) BS 2hpp, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, HDL and HbA1C were measured. We also measured blood pressure, body weight, height and abdomen circumference for individuals. The data were analyzed by Anova, Chi-square and Pearson correlation.

 Results: Serum levels of Vitamin D3 were significantly lower in diabetics compared to non diabetics. (36/5±16/6 v.s. 56/6±19/1 nmol/lit, p<0/001). There was no statistical difference between the group with good control diabetes and poor control diabetes. There was no significant correlation between low serum vitamin D and metabolic syndrome parameters. These findings suggest the need for ongoing evaluation of possible protective role of vitamin D3 supplement in the development of diabetes.

 Conclusions: Based on our results vitamin D deficiency is prominent in patients with diabetes. It appears the vitamin D level should be monitored in diabetic patients.

  Background & Objectives : Intense training increases the production of free radicals and causes inflammatory response in athletes. Strengthen and improving athlete’s immune system may reduce the harmful effects of intense physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate supplementary consumption of coenzyme Q₁₀ on serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) during the maximal activity.

  Methods : Twelve healthy active males (age 21.75 ± 0.64 yr, BMI 23.7±0.94 kg/m²) performed 30-min exercise at 80% to 85% HRmax. Subjects 120 minutes pre-exercise received either of the following regimens: Coenzyme Q₁₀ (2 mg per kg body weight) or placebo (food color). Blood samples were obtained prior to supplement consumption and immediately after exercise, then groups were reversed after 4 days. The data were analyzed using paired and independent t-test. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

  Results: TNF-α serum level increased in both supplementation and placebo group (4.2% and 5.12% respectively) and the difference between two groups was insignificant.

  Conclusion : The results of this study indicated that after maximal activity increasing of TNF-α serum level was slower in the supplement group in comparison with placebo group but Q₁₀ consumption did not caused a significant difference between two group (p=0.8).

  Background & Objectives: Plasma lipids during pregnancy clearly increase, therefore, normal pregnancy is considered as a hyperlipidemia state. Prior studies suggest that coronary artery diseases connected with parity, but no studies have examined the relationship between parity and lipid levels in Iran. In the current study we investigated the relation between parity and lipid levels in maternal plasma in 13-23 weeks pregnant women.

  Methods: This study was done on 700 pregnant women with 18-40 years old at their 13-23 weeks gestation. Gestational age was calculated by LMP and ultrasound in early pregnancy. After obtaining informed consent from patients without exclusion criteria of the study, TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C was requested for them. Finally, the samples of study divided three groups according to the number of parity: nuliparous , multiparous , Grand multiparous . Data were analysed by SPSS-16 software using ANOVA and partial correlation statistical test.

  Results: With the exception of TG that showed significance difference in mean (p=0.008), the means of LDL-C (p= 0.37), HDL-C (p= 0.09) and TC (p=0.15) were not statistically significant among the 3 studied groups. Partial correlation test indicated statistically significant relationship between HDL-C with parity.

  Conclusion: The results of this study indicate decreased HDL-C levels with increasing number of pregnancies. Thus offering the program education and adequate family planning services to women in reproductive age are strongly advised.